The main pastime of Proton from Piers Anthony novel Split
Infinity is The Game. When two persons want to play a
round, they proceed to a Game console. There, one player chooses
one of four categories: 1. PHYSICAL, 2. MENTAL, 3. CHANCE, or
4. ARTS. The other player chooses among A. NAKED, B. TOOL, C.
MACHINE, or D. ANIMAL. (In this context, naked does not necessarily
mean unclothed but rather unassisted by external tools.) Once
the grid is completed, players continue on subgrids until they
select a particular game to play. For instance, in the books,
Stile plays a Naked/Arts round in
interpretive dance, while later on the same category produces
extemporaneous poetry. Chance/Tool covers board and card games,
among others. Most sports are under Physical, but so is Tiddlywinks.
Due to the wide variety of contests available, any given round
could take any one of thousands of forms.

The Tourney

Tourneys are a series of games played by
the serfs to earn Citizenship. A serf that loses their sponsorship
by a Citizen will be expelled from Proton. Then the only way
to stay is to win games at the Tourney to extend your stay.

Every year, the top-ranked players are entered into a Tourney.
The final winner of the Tourney is immediately made a Citizen
and given a small percentage of the annual Protonite production
equal to about one kilogram at the moment of Citizenship.

A new Citizen escapes Proton
by way of Mach's boat.

Other Tourney participants who last until the final rounds are
rewarded by being allowed to stay a serf on Proton for an additional
term of years.
Citizen Blue, your sponsor, has disappeared. His sponsorship
of you as a serf will end unless you join the Tourney to become
a Citizen. You must find a way to enter the dome and join the
Tourney, or the Citizens will banish you from Proton.

In choosing categories for the Game and then
particular contests once the main category is selected, the
intelligent player uses his knowledge of his opponent, trying
to play to the opponent's weaknesses and his own strengths.
Of course, his ability to do so is limited because half the
grid is in the opponent's hands.

Every year, the top-ranked players are entered
into a Tourney. The final winner of the Tourney is immediately
made a Citizen and given a small percentage of the annual Protonite
production equal to about one kilogram at the moment of Citizenship.
(Assuming, of course, that the winner is not a Citizen already.)
Other Tourney participants who last until the final rounds are
rewarded by being allowed to stay a serf on Proton for an additional
term of years.

Not only do Citizens participate in the Game,
they also wager vast sums amongst themselves in any conceivable
fashion. However, should a Citizen lose so many wagers that
he is unable to pay his debts with his proceeds from the Protonite
mines, he is prevented from wagering further until once again
solvent.